College Football Teams with toughest schedules of the BCS era

[sciencewhiz]

I took the average BCS SOS for every team from 1998 through 2006*. I'm sure there are much better ways, but this was easy to throw together.

Rank Team........Average SOS
1....... Florida.........0.5616
2........Florida St.....0.5611
3........Michigan..... 0.5608
4........Southern Cal 0.5566
5........Alabama......0.5531
6........Texas A&M....0.5529
7........Notre Dame...0.5527
8........Auburn..........0.5525
9........Stanford.......0.5522
10......Ohio State....0.5513

3 SEC teams
2 Pac 10 teams
2 Big 10 teams
1 Independent
1 ACC
1 Big 12



*BCS SOS ratings from CollegeBCS.com, used with permission.

 

[hdeck]

a&m must have done some tough scheduling in the late 90s

 

[slsmnaz]

Do you have a point or was this just for fun?

 

[EvilYoda]

Huh, nice...Go Blue.

 

[fustercluck]

Arizona always ends up with one of the top 5 toughest schedules in the country, which isn't good for a team that needs to rebuild every year :disgust: - Hard to get better with such a tough schedule every year.

 

[sciencewhiz]

Originally posted by: hdeck
a&m must have done some tough scheduling in the late 90s

A&M was 5th in '98, 3rd in '03, 1st in '04, and between 10 and 30 the rest of the years, except for this year.

 

[ElFenix]

Originally posted by: hdeck
a&m must have done some tough scheduling in the late 90s

i have to wonder where the other schools in the big xii south are? playing OU and Texas each year will boost your SOS. a&m gets extra points for showing up in the championship game against UNL and kstate, both with a high winning % in those years.

 

[slsmnaz]

Originally posted by: Adaman
Arizona always ends up with one of the top 5 toughest schedules in the country, which isn't good for a team that needs to rebuild every year :disgust: - Hard to get better with such a tough schedule every year.

The OP posted his findings and still you believe this? Can you read?

 

[Tastypoo]

Originally posted by: hdeck
a&m must have done some tough scheduling in the late 90s

I'm pretty sure it's cause they're in the same conference as Oklahoma, Texas and Nebraska (used to be good), plus they probably play at least one other top 25 team like most teams.

 

[sciencewhiz]

Originally posted by: Adaman
Arizona always ends up with one of the top 5 toughest schedules in the country, which isn't good for a team that needs to rebuild every year :disgust: - Hard to get better with such a tough schedule every year.

26th. Arizona had 3 years in the top 10, but also some dismal years (58th in '98 and 65th in 2001). They've definitely been well above average after 2002.

 

[DougK62]

That looks like I expect. Stanford is a bit of a surprise.

 

[tfinch2]

Originally posted by: hdeck
a&m must have done some tough scheduling in the late 90s

Yep, and they were pretty good too. The Cotton Bowl was one of the major bowls in the late-80's/early 90's, and A&M played in it fairly often.

 

[sciencewhiz]

Originally posted by: Tastypoo

Originally posted by: hdeck
a&m must have done some tough scheduling in the late 90s

I'm pretty sure it's cause they're in the same conference as Oklahoma, Texas and Nebraska (used to be good), plus they probably play at least one other top 25 team like most teams.

It defintely helps to be linked by rivalry to a good team (Florida and Florida State, Ohio State and Michigan, USC and Notre Dame, Auburn and Alabama). Texas A&M and Stanford are the only ones without a rival in the top 10 (Texas is 16th and Cal is 23rd).

 

[ElFenix]

Originally posted by: tfinch2

Originally posted by: hdeck
a&m must have done some tough scheduling in the late 90s

Yep, and they were pretty good too. The Cotton Bowl was one of the major bowls in the late-80's/early 90's, and A&M played in it fairly often.

the cotton bowl was one of the big 4 new years day bowls until the 80s when half of the Sure Will Cheat conference was on probation. that started the SWC's decline, and the cotton bowl along with it.

 

[slsmnaz]

Little confused since UT plays 2 of those every year (bama, UF) and has had multiple games w/ ND and Auburn in that time. But we've also played 7 out of 10 since the BCS started so I guess I get to see some good football.

 

[sciencewhiz]

Originally posted by: slsmnaz
Do you have a point or was this just for fun?

Mostly for fun (only took about 20 minutes in Excel), but also to see where Notre Dame fell (based on some of the posts in the Notre Dame bashing thread). Notre Dame is lower then I expected.

 

[sciencewhiz]

Originally posted by: slsmnaz
Little confused since UT plays 2 of those every year (bama, UF) and has had multiple games w/ ND and Auburn in that time. But we've also played 7 out of 10 since the BCS started so I guess I get to see some good football.

Tennessee was 18th overall, really hurt by being 73rd in 2000, but they followed that up with 3rd in 2001.

 

[MikeyIs4Dcats]

but... but ...Notre Dame plays a bunch of pansies because they're an independent, right!?!

 

[Kelemvor]

Wisconsin is going to have a really tough Schedule next year.

2007
Sept. 1 Washington State
Sept. 8 at UNLV
Sept. 15 The Citadel
Sept. 22 Iowa
Sept. 29 Michigan State
Oct. 6 at Illinois
Oct. 13 at Penn State
Oct. 20 TBA
Oct. 27 Indiana (Homecoming)
Nov. 3 at Ohio State
Nov. 10 Michigan
Nov. 17 at Minnesota
Nov. 24 TBA

 

[SpanishFry]

Originally posted by: FrankyJunior
Wisconsin is going to have a really tough Schedule next year.

2007
Sept. 1 Washington State
Sept. 8 at UNLV
Sept. 15 The Citadel
Sept. 22 Iowa
Sept. 29 Michigan State
Oct. 6 at Illinois
Oct. 13 at Penn State
Oct. 20 TBA
Oct. 27 Indiana (Homecoming)
Nov. 3 at Ohio State
Nov. 10 Michigan
Nov. 17 at Minnesota
Nov. 24 TBA

Conf. games + Wazzoo + 2 patsies?

 

[sciencewhiz]

Originally posted by: FrankyJunior
Wisconsin is going to have a really tough Schedule next year.

2007
Sept. 15 The Citadel

That reminds me, my biggest complaint about the BCS SOS formula is that it rewards scheduling Div-1AA teams.

Anyone with The Citadel on the schedule shouldn't be use the word tough and schedule in the same sentence.

Edit: by the way, you listed 13 games. Unless the Nov. 24th game is at Hawaii, you can't do that.

 

[tfinch2]

Originally posted by: FrankyJunior
Wisconsin is going to have a really tough Schedule next year.

2007
Sept. 1 Washington State
Sept. 8 at UNLV
Sept. 15 The Citadel
Sept. 22 Iowa
Sept. 29 Michigan State
Oct. 6 at Illinois
Oct. 13 at Penn State
Oct. 20 TBA
Oct. 27 Indiana (Homecoming)
Nov. 3 at Ohio State
Nov. 10 Michigan
Nov. 17 at Minnesota
Nov. 24 TBA

 

[ElFenix]

Originally posted by: sciencewhiz
That reminds me, my biggest complaint about the BCS SOS formula is that it rewards scheduling Div-1AA teams.

Anyone with The Citadel on the schedule shouldn't be use the word tough and schedule in the same sentence.

boy, that wisconsin doesn't have a tough schedule

 

[sciencewhiz]

Overall, Wisconsin is 42nd, and 6th among Big 10 teams.

 

[MikeyIs4Dcats]

Originally posted by: sciencewhiz

Originally posted by: FrankyJunior
Wisconsin is going to have a really tough Schedule next year.

2007
Sept. 15 The Citadel

That reminds me, my biggest complaint about the BCS SOS formula is that it rewards scheduling Div-1AA teams.

Anyone with The Citadel on the schedule shouldn't be use the word tough and schedule in the same sentence.

many 1-AA teams are superior to some 1-A teams. not saying that The Citadel is one of them, but I'd venture to say the top 20 1-AA teams are better than the bottom quarter of the 1-A teams